KALOOKAN CITY, Philippines (UCAN) -- Yolanda Ignacio, a single mother, arose early Sept. 18, cooked lunch to leave for her son and spent the rest of that Saturday at Kalookan diocese's First Catechetical Congress.

"My son is 15 now and can be left home alone," Ignacio, a volunteer catechist, told UCA News. "That's why I decided I can be more active in the Church," she explained.

Ignacio joined the first batch of volunteer catechists who recently started a two-year training program organized by one-year-old Kalookan diocese. They spent this particular Saturday reflecting, praying and singing.

"Even with his father gone and us barely managing with our needs, I am thankful to God that my son is a good boy," Ignacio said, mentioning that the teenager was an altar boy in their parish. He "understands and never complains about my eagerness to help in church," she said.

Normally, the working mother goes on Saturday to La Consolacion College for catechist formation and training sessions priests run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. But on Sept. 18 she was one of more than 400 participants at the congress at Saint Mary's Academy gymnasium in Kalookan City, north of Manila.

"Volunteer catechists are our future," Father Mariano Bartolome Jr. told UCA News. The priest, who administers the catechetical ministry, said the diocese is building its own ministry since it is being weaned financially from Manila archdiocese.

Kalookan was created in June 2003 from the archdiocese. It is one of five such dioceses created during the past two years to minister more effectively to Manila's swelling population.

Adelaida de Guzman is able to go to catechist training because her children are married with families. The recent widow wanted to be a catechist for a long time, but volunteers in Manila archdiocese needed some college education. Neither she nor Ignacio had that, though both graduated high school.

On Sept. 18, dressed in identical yellow T-shirts, the two women joined other volunteer and professional catechists, teachers, priests, Religious and other Church workers to hear speakers address the theme, "Starting Afresh from Christ in the Company of Mary."

Bishop Deogracias Iniguez of Kalookan told them catechesis is the responsibility of every Catholic. He challenged them to "give life" to catechetical instruction so that Catholics can be genuine witnesses to Christ and the Blessed Mother.

University Professor Naty Pagadut, who has a doctorate in religious and values education, outlined virtues Mary demonstrated in the Gospel. She called Mary a catechist's model, "not only a listener but also a doer."

Pagadut urged catechists and other educators to be "men and women of discernment," like Mary was. "Critical thinking is so needed today when many things are confusing," she said, citing a brand of condoms called Trust and cigarettes called Hope.

The trainer of educators also reminded teachers of "our responsibility" to liberate instead of "muting our students" and suppressing their actions. She said catechists are called to "intercede for people, especially those who have no power or influence" and to "mother" those entrusted to their care.

She finished by screening Marian images for participants to contemplate.

Asked what qualities of Mary they could emulate, participants said in workshops that they should try to be prayerful, understanding, simple, helpful, obedient to God's will and humble. They also said that in their work they could be forgiving, joyful, steadfast in the face of trials and good at listening.

One noted that to be "catechists" to their family, among classmates or in their neighborhood, Catholics need to study the teachings of their faith, "be a model to youth" and participate in Church activities besides the Mass.

Kalookan diocese has 47 professional catechists, 40 of them women, reported ministry coordinators Susan del Rosario and Annette Angeles. With 58 volunteer and four community-based catechists, they teach 51.4 percent of the 181,107 students in 85 public elementary and high schools in the Church jurisdiction. Most catechists are 32-45 years old, with only four aged 18-25.

Professional catechists work 20 hours a week and volunteers give whatever time they have, hopefully at least 10 hours a week, according to Father Bartolome. He estimated the diocese is spending about 5 million pesos (US$88,715) annually for full-time catechists' salaries and benefits.

Volunteers get an allowance for transportation and uniforms.

Manila archdiocese will subsidize 80 percent of Kalookan's budget for catechetical ministry until 2011. Meanwhile, the new diocese is building up funds in preparation for full financial independence.

It started a campaign to collect signatures of parishioners and friends for donations and pledges to the catechetical fund. "Some give one peso, some a thousand," Father Bartolome reported. The diocese also encourages capable people to volunteer as catechists.

The catechetical administrator cited "teaching modern students exposed to media that question faith in Jesus Christ" as a challenge to the ministry. He observed that in public schools where catechism is not graded, some students "lack interest, so catechists have to be really creative."

Edith Perez, a catechist 33 years, teaches children of pedicab drivers, carpenters and others whose days are spent earning a living or seeking work. At times, Perez noted, parents cannot attend their children's First Communion because fathers are working and mothers cannot leave younger children at home.

She recalls a "diagnostic quiz" she gave one of her classes. The top scorer in the test on Sacraments, the Trinity, the Immaculate Conception and other "matters of basic faith" was not a Catholic, she said.

More than 89 percent of Kalookan diocese's 1,221,412 people are Catholics.

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